cold break oxidation?

[Beerbelly85214]

Hi all,

I'm about to try my first all grain brew. Have been reading quite a bit but still not absolutly sure about the stage from boil to cold break regarding oxidation.

I was thinking of buying a bruheat boiler with the copper attachment that fits at the bottom and is used with the hops to filter the brew. My understanding is the hot brew neededs to be chilled rapidly and not be airated to prevent the oxidation problems.

So will draining the hot brew through this copper attachment aerate the wort causing problems?

How long does the wort take to drain and must the wort be cooled before draining or drained while hot?

My guess is the wort needs to be drained hot so it flows better throught the filter media then cooled rapidly to stop the oxidation process!

 

[Joe_Stout]

I don't think you have to worry about oxidation when cooling it off. I have dumped hot wort on ice blocks, added water and stirred like crazy. You want as much oxygen as possible prior to pitching yeast.

 

[IowaHarry]

Oxidation is a problem after the fermentation is in progress. At the begining you need the wort to be aerated.

 

[Beerbelly85214]

o.k Maybe i got confused somewhere in the reading. So it would be o.k to pour large amounts of hot wort from one large vessel to another without any kind of problems resulting to the brew ?

I think i will try my first all grain brew by boiling in a large pot with hops in a bag method. Then at end of the boil remove the hops place them in another container with a meshed bottom and hops placed over the mesh to aid filtering and pour hot water to this container to filter brew. These will save me buying a Bruheat boiler and attachment. Is this a good idea or would just using the hops in the bag method be enough? Just that everyone on this forum seems to be using the hops to filter at the base of the kettle and i'm not sure what the outcome will be if i do not use hops to filter the brew and just use the hops in bag method.

 

[Yooper]

It sounds like you're concerned about hot side aeration. Many experts caution against aerating hot wort, and I've heard the theories on how/why. I'm not sure it's that much of a concern for homebrewers, but I wouldn't pour hot wort unless I had to. The aeration we describe for wort is for AFTER the wort is cooled, not before.

How are you chilling the wort? If you're using a counterflow chiller, or an immersion chiller you should be fine. Or are you saying that you want to strain the wort before chilling somehow?

 

[Beerbelly85214]

Yes that's right. I'm concerned about hot side aeration. I'm planning on dropping large amount of ice into the hot wort to cool it using the pot boil method.

My concernes are

I have to cool wort rapidly but if i I do this then will it still filter throug a hops bed? As hot side aeration seems to be a problem then this would rule out pouring from one vessel to another to filter via hops as mentioned above.

If I don't cool the wort rapidly first so that it will filter through the hops bed easier (assume this method using bruheat boiler and hop filter attachment)then my concern is hot side aeration as i'm assuming filter the wort through the hops (and attachment) takes time allowing hot side aeration.

So do i chill wort before filtering through hops or filter hot wort through hops and damage wort due to hot side aeration?



Have to cool wort rapidly

 

[Yooper]

Yes that's right. I'm concerned about hot side aeration. I'm planning on dropping large amount of ice into the hot wort to cool it using the pot boil method.

My concernes are

I have to cool wort rapidly but if i I do this then will it still filter throug a hops bed? As hot side aeration seems to be a problem then this would rule out pouring from one vessel to another to filter via hops as mentioned above.

If I don't cool the wort rapidly first so that it will filter through the hops bed easier (assume this method using bruheat boiler and hop filter attachment)then my concern is hot side aeration as i'm assuming filter the wort through the hops (and attachemnt takes time allowing hot side aeration.

So do i chill wort before filtering through hops or filter hot wort through hops and damage wort due to hot side aeration?



Have to cool wort rapidly

It's important to chill the wort rapidly. I guess you can add ice if you need to, as long as the ice is sanitary (made yourself in a sanitized container). What size boil are you planning?

I don't know why the filtering thing is an issue, though, I'm trying to figure out what you mean. Do you have a picture of what you're trying to describe? I can't quite picture it.

 

[Beerbelly85214]

No pics.

Just need to know do i chill the wort first before filter through the hop bed?

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

No pics.

Just need to know do i chill the wort first before filter through the hop bed?

I would say absolutely not. Hot wort is more viscous than cold wort.

 

[kuphish]

I would say absolutely not. Hot wort is more viscous than cold wort.

Are you sure? Aren't things less viscous when they are warmer?

 

[Yooper]

No pics.

Just need to know do i chill the wort first before filter through the hop bed?

See, I don't know what "hop bed" you mean. If you're talking about trying to run the wort through some sort of strainer, then by all means chill it FIRST. Don't pour, splash, etc hot wort. I don't think HSA is really that much of a big issue, but there would be no reason whatsoever to attempt to pour hot wort anyway.

I chill in the brew pot, then pour my wort into the fermenter.

 

[RedIrocZ-28]

Are you sure? Aren't things less viscous when they are warmer?

Have you ever drained your oil when it is 30* and the engine is cold? Have you ever drained your oil when its 200* cause the engine was hot?

 

[brewerdad]

Hmm. Not quite sure what petroleum-based motor oil characteristics have to do with wort. But, all sugary liquids I know of are certainly less viscous when heated. Think of pancake syrup. Thick when cold, runny when heated.

 

[dontman]

If your cold wort is syrup consistency then there is a good chance you are doing something wrong.

My chilled wort is beer consistency.

I never worry about HSA pre and during boil because I believe the vigor of the boil will shake loose most of the offending oxygen.

After boil is another matter. I keep my wort calm until it is below 80 degrees. I THEN filter through a strainer which has the major side benefit of aerating the wort on the way into the carboy.

OP, just chill your wort and then strain it. This way you can also strain out the cold break proteins that fall out of solution during the rapid chill. If you strain while hot those proteins will go into the carboy.

(RedIroc Hot liquids get LESS viscous. Viscous = Thick.)

 

[XXguy]

after reading all of this - I get the idea that the OP has never seen or heard of an immersion chiller.

Use a chiller, cool down the work in your brew kettle, then drain it through your hop bed or anything else you want to do, and don't worry about hot side aeration. In fact, once the wort is chilled, you want to get pretty much all the oxygenation you can get.

 

[Beerbelly85214]

Thanks for the comments. Know what to do now. Cool then filter.

Hop Strainer for Bruheat Boiler, The Home Brew Shop Boilers and Mashing Equipment

Are their any benefits to straining wort through the hops rather than through a fine mesh bag or do they both equally produce same quality beer?

Can anyone that has used this Hop Strainer for Bruheat Boiler tell me if it's any good?

 

[dontman]

Thanks for the comments. Know what to do now. Cool then filter.

Hop Strainer for Bruheat Boiler, The Home Brew Shop Boilers and Mashing Equipment

Are their any benefits to straining wort through the hops rather than through a fine mesh bag or do they both equally produce same quality beer?

Can anyone that has used this Hop Strainer for Bruheat Boiler tell me if it's any good?

Is this the equipment you are using? If so, looks good.

Yea cool first strain later. Look into an IC rather than dumping ice into the wort. Especially doing AG since you should be doing full boils with no room to add more water.